“To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring.”  ~George Santayana

What would it be like to exist in ancient times as part of an indigenous culture like the Native Americans or the Aborigines of Australia? In some ways it would have been magical, simple, sweet. But in some ways, it would have been painful, archaic, challenging.

According to the great scholar Joseph Campbell, a human being living in the modern world suffers more because we endure less. In other words, we lack “rites of passage” which define the transition from one stage of life to another. For instance, Joseph Campbell writes about how a boy becomes a man in Aboriginal culture: The boy is brought into the field and put through an ordeal involving circumcision, subincision, and drinking of men’s blood. After this rite of passage, the boy is officially a man and as Campbell said, “There’s no chance of relapsing into boyhood after that.”    Granted, who in their right mind would want to perform or endure such a traumatic experience?!  But Campbell points to modern culture where you’ll have a 45 year old man still trying to be obedient to his father, or a 28 year old woman who can’t bear the thought of having to work hard.

Maybe the rite of passage doesn’t need to be so extreme as drinking blood but there’s something to be said for ceremony that defines a new chapter, a new era, a new leg in the journey. Another example of a rite of passage include the sweat lodge which in Native American culture was seen as womb from which one is born into a new era. One enters the sauna-like atmosphere, sweats out their worries, fears, demons; and leaves a new person.

Campbell points out that the trial-like nature of most rites of passage is to see if you are a match for the task; if you have the courage, the knowledge, and the capacity to go the distance in life.  Often, “the distance” refers to something much more harrowing than ascending Mt. Everest or becoming CEO of a company. As Julien Green said, “The greatest explorer on this earth never takes voyages as long as those of the man who descends to the depth of his heart.”

Following are 3 painful trials of the modern experience which might best be perceived as rites of passage:

1. The Broken Heart

I have a whole section in my book (click here to check it out) about the rite of passage we call “the broken heart.” Upon enduring a broken heart, one enters an emotional chamber of pain only to leave with a purified heart. In today’s world, we leave one with a broken heart to sulk in sorrow. In some primitive cultures, there were spells and ceremonies to honor the broken heart which made the afflicted feel as if they were not the first one to endure such pain. If you or someone you know is currently suffering in the “pain chamber,” be aware that there are countless people in every corner of the world currently undergoing the same painful maturation process.  As Kahlil Gibran wrote, “All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart.” Because no matter how good the sex, no matter how long you’ve been together, no matter how attracted you are, until you know your deepest truth, love will be rooted in something bound to give way.

2. The First Job

For some, the first job is at 8 years old, For others, it’s 22 years old. Either way, it can be a very rude awakening to recognize that life is not always about the fun and games so common in youth. A lucky few actually enjoy their work right from the get-go. But most do not and choose between numbing themselves to the pain thus making peace with the routine; or using the pain as fuel to scratch, crawl, and maneuver their way to freedom.  The bottom line: the first job is a rite of passage marking the transition from the aimless joy of youth to the depth of purpose that defines an inspired adulthood.

3. The Yoga Class

Yoga is practiced by 30 million Americans. In some odd way, I believe people are subconsciously drawn to yoga not for the workout or the fact that it’s en vogue, but rather because they enjoy being part of something ancient. For so many, yoga is a rite of passage which has found its niche in the modern world. Each and every yoga class marks the birth of the student in the beginning of class and the death of the student at the end in the corpse pose (Savasana).  The yoga teaches the student to apply grace to pain, breath to struggle, and presence to beauty… in order to maximize the life experience. One who never takes yoga sees discomfort as a problem that needs to be corrected. Whereas a devout yogi sees discomfort as a necessary ingredient to all that’s good in life. As Helen Keller said, “The marvelous richness of human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome. The hilltop hour would not be half so wonderful if there were no dark valleys to traverse.”